Passengers on a TUI flight from Tenerife to Manchester last Thursday may have feared for their lives. As the flight was about to land, severe weather forced the trainee pilot to divert the flight to the East Midlands. Which gives passengers a cold sweat.
According to the Mirror, several passengers were “screaming” on the plane, shaken by the highly impressive turbulence. “People panicked, children screamed, women cried. Behind us, young women were crying loudly. To be honest, I was saying my prayers. I don’t think I’ll see my family again, it’s so scary,” said Gareth Salter, one of the passengers on the flight. He was furious that only TUI informed passengers that the plane had been hijacked after landing. “As soon as we landed I knew it wasn’t Manchester. Then they told Mike we were in the East Midlands and he was a trainee pilot. They told him to give him a strap because he landed us safely. People were still in shock and cheered,” says Gareth.
Gareth explains that all passengers were left to their own devices and forced to return home or book hotels on their own. But TUI denies that, saying the transfers were organized to bring passengers back to Manchester Airport. The travel agency says the passengers were given the option to return home on their own, get a refund or offer accommodation.
Snow caused major problems for the north of England on Thursday evening, particularly for air traffic. Many flights were delayed at Manchester Airport.
